List of Organizations Helping Gush Katif People

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You may ask what is the connection between helping Gush Katif People and Shemittah. The answer is that just like in Shemittah we give with an open hand (Patoach Tiftach ) not worrying that we may never get paid back, helping the Gush Katif people with an open hand, and seeing to it that all their needs are met is what now needs to be done.

This Beatle song sums it up.

"Is there anything that you want? Is there anything I can do? Just call on me and I'll send it along, with love from me to you".

I received the following list from Marvin Belsky who heads a Coalition to Help the People of Gush Katif.

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Here is a (partial) list of some of the most active volunteer organizations and individuals helping the displaced people of Gush Katif. There is also an active email list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gush_Katif/ for up-to-date postings in English of offers and requests for help.

Many of the requests are for cash, since hundreds of families have still not received any compensation at all and still have to pay for food, travel, clothing, tuition, medicine etc. (Please remember that these families were formerly independent and themselves very charitable. They are very uncomfortable at having been placed in a situation where they are temporarily reliant upon the goodwill of others.)

1) The Council of Gush Katif Settlers - is the central umbrella organization representing and assisting the evacuees and headed by Rabbi Yigal Kaminetsky (Chief Rabbi of Gush Katif) in conjunction with Lemaan Acheinu.

Lemaan Acheinu is responsible for coordinating volunteer activities and distributing practical aid throughout the country. To volunteer or donate, call 02-509-0111 between 9:00 AM and 11:00 PM. Fax 509-0110. Donation hotline: 1599-55-77-78. Direct deposit: Bank Account: Bank Mizrachi, Branch 491, Account number 11296

2) Keren HaTzaddik (in memory of Rabbi Aryeh Levin):

Food distribution to tent cities and other evacuee groups around the country. To donate, telephone: 02-6513111 or 1800-203-320 . www.tmicha.orgjewish@netvision.net.il

3) Lemaan Achai Ramat Bet Shemesh
www.lemaanachai.org - Establishing a free-loan fund for evacuees from all communities, plus counseling and other activities. Currently assisting evacuees from Atzmona housed in Shaalvim dormitories through provision of food and practical supplies. Also, Israel Tax Deductible Donations should be made out to "Lema'an Achai", earmarked "Gush Katif Fund", and sent to: Lema'an Achai (RBS), 40/7 Nachal Lachish, Ramat Beit Shemesh 99093, ISRAEL.

US Tax Deductible checks to: "American Friends of Lema'an Achai"; on Memo Line indicate: "Gush Katif Fund" c/o Simon Fleischer,35 West 96th St #1F, New York, NY 10025 and 24hr Credit Card donations through (9722)999-9933 or Contact Yehudit Shaulzon (+9722)999-1553. creditcard@lemaanachai.org.

4) One of the main problems is unemployment. A list has been set up to try to find new employment for evacuees.

To post a job vacancy, email jobkatif@hotmail.co.il or call 08-6727703 .

5) Rachel Sapperstein (ex-Neveh Dekalim and currently in the Jerusalem Gold Hotel) has established a"Band-Aid" Fund to provide anonymous cash donations of 500-1000 shekels to meet immediate expenses of evacuee families: To contribute, send checks to: The Central Fund of Israel, Jay Marcus, Rehov Hagoel 13, Efrat, Israel 90435; earmarked for Rachel-Operation Band-Aid.

6) Ruthi Brenner is seeking sponsors for evacuee university students who were unable to work this summer to put themselves through college and may have to forfeit their studies as a result. Brenner says that $5,000 paid directly to the university would cover a full year of college tuition and she would be happy to put sponsors in contact with their "adopted" students. Contact her at: luveretz@netvision.net.il or telephone: 972-2-561-1962

7) Bracha Jaffe is helping the mostly secular families who were or still are housed in the Green Beach Hotel, near Netanya. She can been contacted for offers of help and donations for the families, at (054) 761-7988 or bracha@tdsoft.com.

8) Katherine (Gita) Weiner is helping those in for the City of Faith - a tent/trailer city set up by 35 Atzmona families, needs help with construction and caravan repairs, microwaves and or toasters to give at least some independence to families as far as food is concerned,equipment for preschool/kindergarten and monetary donations. Contact Katherine Gita Weiner at izgnanie@yahoo.com

9) Barbara Silverman (02) 623-2548 and attorney Jan Sokolsky (02)566-6388 are raising funds for new winter coats for evacuees in Jerusalem (so far they have purchased 275), plus more winter clothing, winter shoes and prayer books for the upcoming Jewish holidays. They also need volunteers to take groups of children away from confining hotel rooms and to parks.

10) Sarah Alpert is working together with Anita Tucker to provide financial help for the families of Netzer Chazani in the Golan and elsewhere, for the purchase of winter clothing, travel expenses and other practical needs. She can be contacted at salpert@jfsisrael.org

11) Seeking used (but working) laptops, preferably with word, excel and wireless ability to assist community leaders in their administrative work and enable the physically scattered evacuees to reconnect and coordinate with one another through virtual communities. Please contact wisemon@actcom.net.il

12) In the US, Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Director of the National Council of Young Israel has agreed to assist in this effort and made a recent trip to Israel in order to see the situation for himself. Checks can be make out to YOUNG ISRAEL CHARITY FUND. Gush Katif Fund, NCYI, 3 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011.